diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..64a03e4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+script: "rake ci:build"
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 205f64b2..39ace5a7 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ gemspec
 group :development do
   # patron and em-http-request can't install on JRuby, so we have to limit their platform here.
   platforms :ruby do
-    gem 'patron',           '~> 0.4.6'
+    gem 'patron',           '0.4.9'
     gem 'em-http-request',  '~> 0.2.7'
     gem 'curb',             '~> 0.7.8'
     gem 'typhoeus',         '~> 0.2.1'
diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index b6d728ff..7b5fa2d3 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -25,6 +25,22 @@ Cucumber::Rake::Task.new
 
 task :default => [:spec, :cucumber]
 
+namespace :ci do
+  desc "Sets things up for a ci build on travis-ci.org"
+  task :setup do
+    sh "git submodule init"
+    sh "git submodule update"
+  end
+
+  RSpec::Core::RakeTask.new(:spec) do |t|
+    t.verbose = true
+    t.rspec_opts = %w[--format progress --backtrace]
+  end
+
+  desc "Run a ci build"
+  task :build => [:setup, :spec, :cucumber]
+end
+
 desc "Push cukes to relishapp using the relish-client-gem"
 task :relish do
   require 'vcr/version'
diff --git a/vcr.gemspec b/vcr.gemspec
index 3a8f7adc..587abb2f 100644
--- a/vcr.gemspec
+++ b/vcr.gemspec
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   end
 
   {
-    'patron'          => '~> 0.4.6',
+    'patron'          => '0.4.9',
     'em-http-request' => '~> 0.2.7',
     'curb'            => '~> 0.7.8',
     'typhoeus'        => '~> 0.2.1'